Terror on the High Seas
by BrutalWarElf
Summary: Commodore Offdensen and Lieutenant Skwigelf of the Royal Navy are tasked to commandeer the vessel of Nathan Explosion's crew, but it does not go their way. When given the choice to join the crew or walk the plank, they use their skills to help terrorize the Caribbean Sea. But what of their future when the the crew disbands over a falling-out between Nathan and Pickles?
1. Chapter 1

_For tumblr user what-is-this-witchcraft._

'We're well on course to intercept them around noon, Lieutenant.' Commodore Offdensen placed his tricorn back on top of his powdered wig and handed his spyglass to Skwisgaar.

'Sir.'

Peering through the spyglass he swivelled it around a couple of degrees before locking onto their target: The massive pirate ship going by the name of The Black Klok, a thorn in His Majesty's side for quite a few years now. Commodore Offdensen was in charge of the mission to commandeer the vessel of Captain Nathan Explosion and arrest that entire crew of hellions; there was a price on his head, and that of his First Mate Pickles.

If all went according to plan, they would enter in force, overwhelm the crew and set course for Port Royal before nightfall. He was looking forward to returning to England after this mission. The weather in the Caribbean did not agree with him. The wool coat of his uniform was sweltering underneath the hot sun and his scalp was itching underneath his wig.

'You know your orders, Lieutenant. Ready your men to board the Black Klok the moment we draw alongside. We will not be using the cannons to minimise the damage to the vessels.'

'Yes, Sir.' Skwisgaar gave a brief salute and turned on his heel.

The Black Klok was swift, but the HMS Iron Maiden was swifter. It would not be long until they overtook the black-sailed vessel. He stationed his men on the starboard side, waiting calmly among the ranks of composed soldiers. He was the best swordsman in his regiment, possibly in the entire Royal Navy. A rag-tag band of pirates should hardly pose a problem, regardless of their notoriety.

He had been so wrong, he fleetingly thought in the heat of battle, laying about him with his sabre. Explosions crewmembers were tremendous fighters, and where they lacked in skill and conviction, they were compensated with sheer, dumb luck. Skwisgaar's men were felled like trees by swords and falling inventory alike. It was chaos – the clash of steel and the splintering of wood was deafening.

Fighting back to back with Commodore Offdensen they were soon surrounded by grubby, menacing pirates who looked unnervingly eager to bash their skulls in. Yanking his bloodied sabre out of the torso of his latest adversary he shouted for Offdensen to give him orders.

'No quarter, Skwigelf!' The Commodore engaged a man with lanky brown hair and a goatee in single combat and ran him through after a misleading feint.

Skwisgaar slashed his sword around to create more room to move, but he was waylaid by a great, hulking man with jet black hair. He knew that face from the wanted posters. It was Explosion.

That was his last thought before Explosion's elbow connected with his head and everything went black.

The makeshift stockades deep in the bowels of the Black Klok were so rank and foul smelling that it was the first thing Skwisgaar noticed when he regained consciousness, gagging a little on the stench. Commodore Offdensen was already on his feet, speaking through the cast-iron bars to try and negotiate parley with the captain via a hapless crewmember.

'Don't look at me, man, I'm just the Master gunner,' a short, gap-toothed man slurred, preening over his title with false humility.

'Surely you know where to find Captain Explosion and convey a message on my behalf.' Offdensen kept a tight rein on his exasperation. He had not foreseen this turn of events, but he was a resourceful man. 'My name is Commodore Offdensen of His Majesty's Royal Navy, I-'

'Hello.' A light voice said close to Skwisgaar's ear where he slumped against the bars of the prison.

Skwisgaar looked up groggily and blinked until the speaker swam into focus. Pale blue eyes peered out at him curiously from a young face framed by long sandy hair.

'I admire your fighting style.'

'Much good did it do me.' He grumbled sarcastically.

'Yeah, our crew is pretty capable. Still, you must teach me your technique sometime.' The young man insisted.

'Are you serious, boy? I probably won't make it past sunset the way my luck is running today.'

'I'll put in a good word for you – if you promise to join our crew.' He paused when Skwisgaar's eyebrows shot up. 'Well, we're a few men short since you and the Commodore over there laid into our ranks, and I'm sure the captain has use for a good sword hand like yours. It beats walking the plank if you ask me.'

'You would, would you?' He sneered. What manner of authority could that kid possibly hold among this hardened crew?

'As a matter of fact, yes.' The kid narrowed his eyes, storm clouds gathering on his brow. In a split-second his innocent face lost all its harmlessness. 'Unless I change my mind and have you keelhauled instead, master…?'

'Lieutenant. Lieutenant Skwigelf.' He wrapped his authority around him like armour in defence against that murderous stare.

'Right. You think very carefully about the choice you are going to have to make while I speak with the captain, Lieutenant.' His face smoothed into a more subtle expression that was no less unsettling. 'As much as I like to see people brought low, seeing them swallow their pride possibly gives me even more satisfaction.' He smiled, innocent once again, and got up.

The gap-toothed gunner hollered after the kid as he put one foot on the ladder to the deck above.

'Hey, Toki! Where do you think you are going, you fucking stowaway?'

Toki turned like lightning and fisted his hands into the front of gap-tooth's soot-stained shirt, nearly lifting him off the ground.

'Shut up, Murderface. Didn't you hear? Nathan made me Second Mate for my prowess in battle today. You don't get to boss me around anymore, _savvy_?'

'What? You're joking!' Toki's face was clearly dead serious. 'Well, in that case,' Murderface swallowed and visibly restrained himself, 'tell the captain that _His Majesty's Royal Navy_ over here wants to parley.'

'I'm way ahead of you, _Gunner_.' It sounded like a derogatory term the way Toki spoke it when he ascended the ladder.

_Toki_. He had heard that name before, but in what context? It wasn't a very common name, yet he had difficulty recalling the circumstance.

'Master gunner.' Skwisgaar called. 'Who is that kid?'

'Just some stowaway, what's it to you?' Murderface spat dismissively.

'What can you tell me about him?'

'Fuck all – just that his name is Toki Wartooth, and we discovered him lurking in the cargo hold after we left Port Royal this spring.'

'Toki Wartooth? Not the musical prodigy from Norway?' He was beyond surprised to run into him here of all places. It rendered him temporarily speechless.

'Do I look like I give a damn? That kid is nothing but trouble, mark my words.' Murderface turned his back and went to oversee the maintenance of the rows of cannons that lined the hull.

'Consider them marked.'

'Skwisgaar, can you cease the pleasantries and help me consider a plan of action?' Commodore Offdensen cut in, hands massaging his fingers through the short brown hair at his temples. He looked decidedly odd without his wig.

'With all due respect, Sir, I believe that our best plan has already been set in motion. How do you value your title in regards to your life?'

Author's note: Jumping onto the Pirateklok bandwagon. Enjoy and let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

'Been laying on the old Skwigelf charm, have you?' Offdensen asked rhetorically after hearing the details of Skwisgaar's encounter.

'It is as it is, Sir, but I do not believe I made a conscious effort.' They shared a demure smile. It wasn't as if he could turn it off. Besides, the kid had approached him because of his superior fencing skills.

'Are you acquainted with that young man?'

'I attended one of his musical recitals at court once, he was a child prodigy. We were never formally introduced.' Offdensen urged him on with a raised eyebrow. 'The rumour is that he… went missing two years ago, and small wonder. His father was a veritable tyrant – had him labour day and night, corporal punishment, you name it.'

'Indeed. You know this how?'

'I do not wish to divulge that, Sir.'

It was such a bizarre memory that he had repressed it for good reason. While Toki had been bent over his harpsichord, playing works of the great composers before the peers of the realm, a long stripe of blood had slowly seeped through the powder blue silk of his coat. No one had said a word, and Skwisgaar's stepfather Týr, the Swedish Ambassador to the Crown, had warned him to keep his lips sealed. Politics were a delicate matter, and Skwisgaar's career in the Navy had only just begun.

There were other strange things he had heard rumoured at court about Toki Wartooth more recently. He had supposedly joined a seminary, eloped with a priest after mere months of studying there and torched the chapel to cover up their escape. Last year he had been convicted _in absentia_ of sodomy and arson. If there was any truth to these rumours, he had a price on his head. Skwisgaar filed this information away carefully. If he had learned anything from Offdensen, it was that knowledge was power.

Skwisgaar squinted against the late afternoon sun when he and Offdensen were led on deck before the commanding officers of the Black Klok. Captain Explosion was not as tall as he had seemed at first glance, but he was twice as wide as Skwisgaar and managed to loom all the same. His long black hair hung in a loose braid across his back, and he was dressed in a loose fitting linen shirt. He was flanked by a man with wild ginger hair sticking up from a headscarf, who could only be his First Mate Pickles. They looked like self-made men; having none of the aristocratic breeding that was still evident in the way Toki Wartooth held himself, even though he had exchanged his silks for simple wool.

Explosion studied his prisoners pensively while he listened to Toki speaking on their behalf. For the first time since their capture, dread started creeping up on Skwisgaar.

'You saw how they can fight, Nathan, we'd be fools to just send them down to fucking Davey Jones.' Granted, he no longer sounded like a gentleman.

'That's _Captain_ to you while we're in public, boy.' Explosion growled, but he sounded more indulgent than anything. 'You know that fighting only takes up a small portion of the work. I'll consider your proposal if they have more to offer than just their swords.' He turned to Offdensen. 'So. You want to join the crew in exchange for your life, huh? Convince me of your usefulness.'

The tight set of Offdensen's mouth told Skwisgaar enough. He gave Offdensen a pointed look.

'I have an outstanding knowledge of His Majesty's law and its loopholes, naval intelligence, navigation and bookkeeping among other things. I suspect that my expertise will prove to be invaluable to you.' Offdensen relayed in clipped tones. He was not yet reconciled with his fate.

'In that case it would be fitting that you take up Fjordslorn's spot, seeing as you killed our Quartermaster and all.' The First Mate cut in.

Both Explosion and Offdensen looked at him sharply.

'It's not like any of us are fit for the job.' Pickles pointed out sensibly.

'Good point, Pickles. It's settled, then.' Explosion conceded. Offdensen nodded in acceptance.

'And what about you? What was your name again?' The captain turned his gaze on Skwisgaar.

'Lieutenant Skwigelf, Captain. I'm a soldier and a strategist first and foremost, but I do possess a similar basic knowledge as I am – was – a commanding officer. I can be useful in evading future skirmishes with the Navy, which will surely follow.'

Explosion frowned, and looked to Pickles and Toki.

'He obliterated half our chain of command, and men who know their stuff are in short supply.' Toki argued.

'Fine, have it your way. Congratulations, Skwigelf, you are now Second Mate.' Explosion turned his back, satisfied with the outcome.

'What? Over my dead body!' Toki growled.

'If you don't like it, duel him for it, Toki. See who's the better man for the job. I don't care.'

Toki yanked his sabre free and took up a defensive stance. The surrounding crewmembers stepped back to clear a space, and the gap-toothed gunner passed Skwisgaar his sword.

'Be a good man and take that lad down a notch, why don't you.' He lisped under his breath.

Skwisgaar stepped into the circle, giving Toki a sober salute with his sword.

'En garde, Lieutenant!' He opened with a quick, violent slash at Skwisgaar's chest.

Toki was a fair swordsman, it turned out, possibly the most challenging opponent he had ever had. The fact that he adhered to the rules of fencing, however, made it easier to play into his weaknesses. They fought elegantly, as though they were performing a court dance rather than a heated battle for dominance; stepping around each other lightly, blades coming together at sharp angles. They gave and took ground in equal measure, and it seemed to go on forever. The crowd of gathered crewmembers were uncannily quiet as they watched, and the sound of their ringing steel echoed across the open water.

Skwisgaar felt reluctant to try and harm the kid in earnest, opting instead to wear him out. Sweat was gushing from Toki's face as he put everything he had into the fight. Skwisgaar's calm discipline and stamina were advantages that became more apparent as their confrontation progressed. Toki went for a complicated offensive manoeuvre by pressing him hard, but he deflected by using as little energy as possible; he stepped aside, Toki stumbled, and that was it.

Toki remained on his knees as Skwisgaar delicately put his blade under his chin and tilted his face up.

'Well fought, master Wartooth.' He held out his hand and pulled Toki to his feet. Under his breath he added: 'You fence almost as well as you play music.'

Pale eyes went wide, and he gave an imperceptible shake of his head. For the benefit of the crew he gave Skwisgaar a polite bow.

'You have earned your rank, I suppose. Just don't think I'm giving up my bloody cabin.'

'You're sharing, just like everyone else, you little scoundrel.' Explosion castigated.

'Everyone, except you.' Toki griped in response.

'That's what I'm captain for. Now scram before I have the boatswain flog you for contempt.'

Toki visibly shrunk in on himself, and Skwisgaar felt a strong and sudden urge to protect him from the lash now where he had been powerless all those years ago. He was a brash lad, but he had his heart in the right place, that much was evident.

'Why don't you show me where my bunk is? If I don't get out of this wig soon I'm going to melt.'

The distraction had effect, and he followed Toki to a fairly well-appointed cabin at the back of the ship. It might even be a step up from his bunk on the HMS Iron Maiden.

'The joys of a proper bed!' Toki collapsed onto the first bed he encountered and stretched out like a housecat. 'I can't believe my good fortune after months in a hammock.'

'And I can't believe my good fortune after getting soundly defeated and captured by pirates.' He began shedding his stifling uniform coat while searching for a ewer. 'What happened after I lost consciousness?'

'You were the last men to go down, and after throwing you in the stockades we plundered your ship and sunk it. Couldn't leave any evidence floating around.'

'Ah.' Such a shame. The Maiden had been such a sophisticated vessel. He pulled his soaked shirt off his back and washed his face and hands.

Toki stared at him, strangely entranced. 'Did I ever properly thank you for slaughtering half my superior officers?'

'Considers us even for saving me a trip to the locker.' He replied carefully. Was he imagining the flirtation, his mind spurred on by the prejudice those rumours had caused? Probably not. Toki was hardly the first person to gaze upon him in such a manner. He would have to be on his guard.


	3. Chapter 3

Hot currents whipped the flyaway strands that that escaped his tail across his sweaty face. He was not looking forward to engaging in combat today, but this opportunity was too good to miss. The Black Klok had been in pursuit of a Spanish vessel carrying gold out of the New World for the past three days, and they were rapidly closing the distance.

'Alright guys, if we pull this off we won't have to work for a very long time. We'll head straight for the nearest port and start living like kings. ' Nathan spoke.

Skwisgaar was standing in the semi-circle of ranking officers being addressed by the captain. Pickles stood at the helm a ways off, but he was listening intently. Besides Skwisgaar, Toki was practically chomping at the bit, rather overly eager to take on a heavily armed ship of the Spanish Armada.

'Offdensen, what do you think?' Nathan addressed the Quartermaster.

'This is going to be an extremely hazardous endeavour, but you are right. If we manage to claim their precious cargo we will be rich men. The merchandise we have plundered over the last months will be absolutely nothing compared to the treasures aboard that ship. I would advise you to open fire as soon as we draw alongside, for they will be ready for us. This vessel will be manned by seasoned, professional soldiers. The best strategy would be to enter as quickly as possible and disable their gunners first to limit damage to the Black Klok. Skwisgaar, how many cannons do you estimate are on that vessel?'

'Twenty on either side, Sir.'

After his initial reservations, Offdensen had taken to his new position like a fish to water. His adventurous streak ran deep enough that it did not show on the surface, but it became apparent in every challenge he met head on. Nathan and Pickles had started relying heavily on him for everything practical as well as tactical, and Skwisgaar knew him well enough to see that he took pride in what they had accomplished so far.

They had become a tightly knit group, as if they were all parts of a puzzle that had suddenly been fit together. Their effectiveness as a crew was unparalleled allowing them to terrorize the Caribbean Sea unchallenged the whole summer.

'Here's the plan,' Nathan cut in, 'Offdensen, I want you on the Black Klok overseeing everything. Skwisgaar, Toki, you will cover Pickles and me when we get the gold. Kill anyone who stands in our way. Murderface, you're in charge of damage control. Destroy their cannons but don't sink the ship until we're back on board. Is that clear?'

A chorus of 'Aye, Captain!' sounded before they were dismissed. Pickles handed the helm over to the sailing master and approached Skwisgaar.

'This is going to be good. We're going to get completely pissed tonight if this goes our way.' He vowed passionately.

'I thought we were out of rum.'

'You think I'd be on my feet right now if we were?' Pickles chuckled.

'What, we're not?' Toki exclaimed enthusiastically from behind them.

'As far as you are concerned, we are.' Skwisgaar tried to temper his spirit. 'Remember what happened last time you got drunk? I spent all night keeping you from taking a dive while you puked over the railing.' Not to mention deflecting all the unsubtle advances Toki had directed his way.

'Oh, that's right.'

Skwisgaar drew Toki aside on their way to inspect the men.

'Listen to me, Toki. You have no idea how dangerous this is. I've fought the Spanish before, and they are fearsome adversaries. I need you to stay by my side at all cost. Don't go off on your own, and don't get hurt.' He added extra emphasis to the last three syllables.

'Stop coddling that kid, Skwisgaar, he's been here longer than you.' Nathan rumbled.

Skwisgaar raised an eyebrow at him. It was not as if Nathan wouldn't be completely devastated if something happened to Toki.

He handed Toki a loaded flintlock rifle so he could take out their opponents from a distance before getting into the melee.

'How much do you want to bet that I'm going to shoot more Spaniards than you?'

'Shut up, Toki, you're a terrible shot. But by all means, do try.'

Toki's aim wasn't necessarily terrible. Skwisgaar saw him take out at least one Spanish soldier as the Black Klok overtook the other vessel under heavy cannon fire, splintering wood and flying debris. Skwisgaar kept a close watch on him as they prepared to board the Spanish ship with grappling hooks.

Climbing over the railing onto their enemies' deck they stuck together with Nathan and Pickles, cutting a swathe through the armoured soldiers and sailors alike. The roaring of the cannons ceased after one final blast that rippled heavily through the ship. It started a chain reaction of falling debris that maimed and killed many men on both sides.

The four of them made their way below deck to the cargo hold, which was heavily guarded in spite of the intense fighting going on above their heads. Skwisgaar engaged the first guard he encountered with his sabre and Toki followed suit. They were outnumbered three to one, but as soon as Nathan drew his cutlass and Pickles produced a boarding axe from his belt they swiftly helped even the odds.

With a grunt, Toki skewered the last guard on his blade. He was covered in blood, but most of it seemed to belong to his opponents. Nathan caught Skwisgaar looking.

'We got this, Skwisgaar.' He and Pickles heaved an ironbound chest between them. 'Secure our retreat.'

'With me, Toki.' Skwisgaar snapped, and they made the perilous ascent back up the ladder. They were in a very vulnerable position; going up in single file, burdened with their heavy loot.

On deck the battle was still raging, though the bodies of soldiers and pirates were piling high. He had to awkwardly block a sword coming down on him with only one hand out of the trapdoor. Hacking blindly he managed to cut through a leg and run the body through before it toppled into the stairwell.

'Incoming!' He bellowed as the body slid past him.

'What the hell, Skwisgaar!' He heard Pickles curse. Fortunately, Toki managed to shove the corpse clear of Pickles and Nathan.

Once clear of the trapdoor he had a better defensible position, and the other three made it back to the Black Klok alive.

Their crew had sustained heavy losses, Skwisgaar noted when they sunk the Spanish vessel, but the survivors would be handsomely rewarded indeed. Dusk was falling, and the myriad little fires that burned all over the conquered ship extinguished one by one as it sank below the surface. Carpenters worked quickly to patch the breached hull of the Black Klok to avoid the same fate.

'The captain invites you to dine with him.' A sailor in a faded black turban spoke.

He nodded wearily and made his way over to Nathan's cabin.

Toki was perched on a stool while Offdensen and Pickles fretted over a gash on his chest. Skwisgaar's stomach dropped when he took in the gushing blood, but Toki seemed to take it all in stride. Offdensen deftly wielded a needle, suturing the cut with crude stitches. Only when Pickles poured rum over it did Toki curse softly.

Nathan was pressing a wad of cloth to an ugly open wound in his side, and Pickles went to his side to help him.

'Can you fix this?' Nathan groaned.

Pickles looked taken aback. 'Charles?' He called.

Offdensen held Nathan's arms out of the way while they assessed the severity.

'To be honest, I have no idea how to treat this, I'm not a surgeon. However, we need to find a way to keep it from infecting.'

'Let me have a look.' Murderface pushed past him. 'You need to cauterise that. I'll get a fire going.'

Nathan made a disgusted sound.

By the time dinner was brought in the smell of burning flesh had made them all more than a little queasy, but when Pickles produced kegs of rum from his secret stash the mood was lifted considerably.

'Guys,' Pickles suddenly laughed, pulling them from their inebriated reveries, 'we did it – we're fucking minted!' Since he was the only one still steady on his feet he poured another round of rum. 'Hold your cup straight, Toki, it's going to spill.' He chided.

Toki sat on the floor, slumped against Offdensen's legs and obviously drunk out of his mind. Charles looked a little uncomfortable with the display of affection, but said nothing. Everyone always accepted a disproportionate amount of mischief from Toki because there was just something about him. He was the Benjamin, of course, but he also had such an innate sweetness that made it very hard to be angry with him.

'Well, gentlemen, this has been a great day, but I'm going to turn in. Could someone…' Offdensen gestured helplessly at Toki.

'Take that overgrown child off your hands?' Nathan finished with a bemused smile.

Everybody looked at Skwisgaar, who pretended to be oblivious. Offdensen got up nonetheless, heaved Toki into the vacant seat, and left.

'Great day, yes, but you know what would make it even better? The company of some nice ladies…' Skwisgaar said wistfully.

'God yes,' Murderface ineloquently but whole-heartedly agreed. 'When we make port I'm going to f–'

Toki let out an ugly snort. 'Who needs ladies anyway?'

Skwisgaar held his breath. He fervently hoped Toki was not going flaunt his homosexual tendencies in front of everyone. He was certainly drunk enough. The more people knew the more disastrous it could end, considering the fact that he already had a death sentence hanging over his head in England. The idea of Toki swinging from the gallows made him sick to his stomach.

'Someone enlighten this absolute idiot on the topic of the glorious merits of the female sex.' Murderface said with indignation.

'You know what, Toki?' Skwisgaar interjected to swiftly conclude the topic. 'Once we land in Tortuga I will introduce you to some friends of mine who may be able to inform a little bit better you on the matter,' He mouthed the word _prostitutes_ over Toki's head and the others snickered quietly. 'But now it's time for bed, I reckon.' He hefted one of Toki's arms over his shoulder and bodily dragged him from the cabin.

When he tried to lower him onto his bunk, Toki would not let go.

'Ladies are dull, Skwisgaar.' He slurred drunkenly.

'Permit me to disagree.' Skwisgaar countered.

They held their status quo for a moment, Toki's arms unwilling to part from his neck, Skwisgaar uncertain if he should force him away. The intensely focused stare Toki was directing at him despite his inebriation made his heart skip a beat.

Skwisgaar gently pried his arms loose and lowered him the rest of the way before something untoward would happen.

'Kiss me.' Toki murmured with closed eyes.

'Go to sleep, you're drunk.' He said dismissively. The strange feeling that haunted his steps as he returned to his friends was less easy to dismiss.


	4. Chapter 4

The freak tempest had come out of nowhere. Dark clouds broiled overhead, unleashing torrents of rain while high waves buffeted the ship from all sides.

Skwisgaar dragged Charles' unconscious body to Nathan's cabin with difficulty. He had barely been able to move him out of the way before he was crushed by a falling boom. The deck rolled and heaved underneath him, and he could barely see through the rain lashing his face. Once inside, the wind ripped the door from his hands and howled through the room. Where were the others? Apart from lifting Charles onto the bed there was little else he could do for him in these conditions, so he ventured outside again.

Pickles was hanging on to the helm for dear life, arguing helplessly with Nathan and unable to leave his post. Skwisgaar made his way over to them, the wind ripping the breath from his lungs.

'We have to do it, Pickles!' Nathan roared over the force of the gale. 'We need to dump the cargo; the ship is too heavy to scale these waves!'

Skwisgaar stumbled into the midst. 'Where's To –'

A cold shock of water temporarily broke them up. Pickles shook the water out of his hair and seemed torn between navigating the towering waves and rushing after Nathan to stop him.

'Nathan, you can't do that! Everyone on board has risked their life for that goddamned stuff!'

'Where the hell is Toki?' Skwisgaar yelled. He couldn't care any less about the cargo. The other two ignored him.

Nathan stormed off the bridge, disregarding Pickles' angry protests, and went below deck. Skwisgaar turned his back on Pickles too, going through all the cabins in search of Toki, who was nowhere to be found. Offdensen had rolled onto the floor from the force of the oscillation, but Skwisgaar did not take the time to put him back. He had to find Toki first. Stepping outside, the churning seas looked all the more threatening and unfathomable. His heart was pounding in his chest when he pushed past the crewmembers lugging cargo up from the hold to throw it overboard on Nathan's orders.

In his mind he started fearing the worst when not a single person he passed could tell him of Toki's whereabouts, but he searched the entire ship nonetheless, crashing into people and walls alike with each sky high wave that picked the ship up.

'Murderface,' he panted, busting in through the door, 'have you seen – '

Murderface was crouched in front of Toki, who was backed up in a corner, soaking wet and whimpering like a lost child.

'He's a little out of it, Skwisgaar, but he's unharmed. I was just in time to keep him from washing overboard.'

'You're a hero. Thank god, thank god,' he mumbled, falling to his knees and wrapping his arms around Toki.

'We're going to be alright, Nathan's got a plan.' Murderface offered reassuringly before joining the crew in hauling cargo.

'I've never been this scared in my life,' Toki confided in a whisper, shaking with cold and dread.

Skwisgaar sighed into his hair. 'Me either, but I feel a little better having found you.'

The last leg of the journey to Tortuga had been tense. There was a rift running through the crew between men who sided with either Pickles or Nathan over the loss of the cargo, but thankfully it did not come to mutiny. They still had the gold and their lives, and that was enough for most of them. The captain and the first mate themselves, however, had a falling out, and vowed to part ways after making port.

'What are you going to do… after?' Toki asked him idly when Skwisgaar was about to fall asleep.

'Probably find a good investment for my gold, have some fun, and join Nathan for his next venture, I think.' He hadn't thought about it at length.

'You're not returning to England?'

'I couldn't possibly appear at court anymore. Do you even realize we've been committing one felony after another all season?'

Toki huffed, but said nothing.

'Why did you ask?'

Silence stretched before Toki answered. 'I do not want to take leave of you.'

Skwisgaar supposed it was inevitable that this would come up. He was a little uncomfortable with Toki's blatant attraction to him, but he found the idea of parting ways with him remarkably unsettling.

'We're still going to have a good time in Tortuga, remember?'

'You did promise.' Toki acceded, satisfied for the moment.

'Fancy meeting you here, darling.' A woman's voice crooned in his ear over the roar of laughing men inside the tavern.

Skwisgaar put down his cup of wine and spun around on his chair to gaze upon a familiar face. 'Hello sweetheart,' he greeted the woman dressed in nothing but a shift and colourful stays, dark blond curls falling freely past her shoulders.

'You look a little different without your uniform.' She observed.

'It's a long story.' He caught Toki's narrowed eyes. 'Elizabeth is one of my friends I told you about earlier, Toki.'

'Madam.' Toki hefted his glass stiffly in greeting.

'Isn't he precious?' She smiled.

'I was telling him earlier that you might be the right person to educate him on the charms of female company.' Skwisgaar said with a conspirational smirk, passing her some silver. 'Go with her, Toki. I'll be here waiting for you.'

Elizabeth took Toki by one hand, and held the other out to Skwisgaar. 'For that kind of money you're invited too, handsome.'

Skwisgaar hesitated, but let her lead them both back to her rooms upon Toki's pleading look. It wouldn't be the first time he shared a bed with more than one person, except they had always been female before. Thankfully, he was just the right amount of intoxicated to go along with it without questioning the course of events too much.

'Who's first?' She asked coyly once Skwisgaar had shut the door behind him.

Toki's eyes were wide and nervous, and he glanced helplessly at Skwisgaar for guidance.

Skwisgaar stretched out the bed and patted the mattress beside him, motioning for her to lie down in the crook of his arm. She in turn indicated for Toki to join her on the other side, which he did, frigidly.

'Don't be shy, darling,' She placed the laces of her bodice into Toki's hands.

As Toki's trembling fingers carefully unlaced the corset, Skwisgaar ran his hand under her shift, slowly making his way up her soft thighs. He felt himself harden rapidly against her hip; he had been starving for this during the long months at sea. Together with Toki he helped her out of her clothes. Elizabeth lay back down, and they both knelt at her sides. Toki watched Skwisgaar caress her body, but put off laying his hands on her until Skwisgaar raised his eyebrows at him.

'I think your friend might need a little demonstration.' Giggling, she pulled Skwisgaar's shirt over his head.

Toki remained frozen to the spot while Skwisgaar shed his clothes, a blush creeping up his cheeks as he looked on with parted lips. Skwisgaar paid him little heed as he splayed Elizabeth's legs and lowered himself between them, mouthing at her soft, small breasts. As he slipped his cock inside her and gently rocked back and forth, he couldn't withhold a groan of pleasure. Only when he heard Toki gasp he remembered that his friend was perching still fully clothed beside them. It was a little strange to have an onlooker, but something about Toki's hungry gaze made the experience altogether more thrilling.

He pulled out for a moment to position her on all fours before plunging back into her wet heat with a sigh. She let soft moans escape every time he thrust into her with his hands wrapped firmly around her thin waist.

'Come here, sweetheart.' She instructed Toki, and gestured for him to take his clothes off as well.

The ugly pale scar that marred the planes of Toki's chest did nothing to diminish the appeal of his muscular build. He kept his wide eyes on Skwisgaar as Elizabeth took his half-hard cock in her mouth, but they briefly fluttered shut as Skwisgaar carefully nudged her forward with his hips. He kept his thrusts shallow and slow as he fucked into her, drawing his pleasure out to the fullest. Toki's hair swung softly across his chest with the transferred motion. His gaze roved over Skwisgaar's body from underneath his eyelashes, and the first moan of pleasure he uttered was one of the most arousing sounds Skwisgaar had ever heard. The fact that there was a woman between them held up the illusion that this was somehow alright.

When Toki brushed his hair out of his red-hot face, Skwisgaar suddenly felt like he was unacceptably far away, and he stopped moving to think of a way to resolve that. Elizabeth sat up too, leaving Toki rock-hard and panting. Looking between them, she smiled mischievously.

'On your back,' she commanded Skwisgaar.

He complied, drawing his tail out of the way, and she lowered herself on top of him with her back against his chest. He reached between her legs to nudge his cock inside her again. It was an unusual position, but he was up for a lot of things. He was a little shocked, however, to hear her instruct Toki to kneel between their two sets of legs and push in beside Skwisgaar.

Toki froze, but she brooked no argument. 'Get on with it, stud.'

She and Skwisgaar both cried out with the intensity of the feeling when Toki aligned himself and sheathed his cock inside her, too. The muscles of his arms corded with the effort of keeping his weight off of them. Feeling Toki's cock slide against his in the tight confines of a woman's body was bizarre but indescribably stimulating, and there was only one word on his lips when Toki started thrusting with a concentrated look on his face.

'Toki,' he bit out repeatedly as he bucked up weakly against the weight of the gasping woman between them.

Toki lowered his upper body and captured Skwisgaar's mouth with his over her shoulder and they both moaned into the sloppy kiss; tongues sliding and teeth clicking as they lost themselves in each other. Skwisgaar brought his arms around her to run them up Toki's arms and across his back down to his ass, mapping the movement of his grinding hips.

Violently thrusting up he spent his seed with a shout, his entire body going rigid with the ferocity of his climax.

Losing every semblance of self-control, Toki ploughed into her with forceful thrusts, open mouth wet against Skwisgaar's neck, before he too spilled with a groan.

Before he could collapse on top of them, Elizabeth entangled herself from between them. 'I'm going to give you boys a moment…' She said mirthfully, making her way over to her wash stand.

When Toki lay back down on his chest, Skwisgaar was mildly alarmed by the way Toki's heavy, slick cock felt against his thigh, but he ran a hand through his hair nonetheless. Toki kissed him again, lazily, and whispered something that sounded an awful lot like _'min elskede'_, which was terrifying and glorious at the same time.

They slept soundly in each other's arms.


	5. Chapter 5

The irregular drip of a warm substance on his stomach gradually roused him from his deep slumber. Skwisgaar wanted to stretch, but a heavy weight on his hips pinned him down. Opening his eyes, he was greeted by the sight of Toki straddling him with a faraway expression on his flushed face, lightly stroking his dripping cock.

'What – ' He croaked, but Toki hushed him with a heated kiss. Newly sober, he felt a mild panic rising in his chest at the realisation what they had done. What they were doing. He could not find it in him to stop kissing back, however. What was one more crime on the endless list he had committed this season?

'At last, you're awake. Roll over,' Toki panted when he pulled away, 'I really want to fuck you.'

'Most certainly not!' Skwisgaar replied indignantly. 'Are you out of your mind?'

'It's been said.' He smiled wryly, and continued his stroking, squeezing his eyes shut. 'Can I suck your cock, then?'

'No!' The practical implications of sleeping with a man were still rather intimidating.

'Can I ride you while I jack off?' Another string of precome dripped onto Skwisgaar's skin. He was clearly enjoying informing Skwisgaar of the full extent of his sexual fantasies.

'Toki, this is wrong.' He protested weakly.

Gyrating his hips, Toki called Skwisgaar's bluff. Pleasure sparked in his cock where it nestled thick and hot in the cleft of Toki's ass. His athletic body in the afternoon sun was a sight to behold; the musculature defined by deep shadows and his smooth face framed by his gleaming hair made it difficult not to stare.

'You want me.' Toki said smugly, grinding out a tantalizing rhythm.

'Oh Lord, yes.' Skwisgaar moaned, admitting defeat.

'And I dare say,' he snapped his hips sharply, wrenching another plea from Skwisgaar's lips, 'you love me, too.'

He did. He had never experienced anything like it, but it was clear as day; a completely overwhelming sensation that made Toki the focal point of his existence. But it was too hard to admit, too monumental to give voice to it. Instead, he sat up and got Toki on his back, covering him with his mouth and body until he, too, was altogether incapable of stringing a sentence together.

'Skwisgaar, hey,' Nathan sat down heavily across from him at the table in the common room, blocking his view with his broad figure. He appeared well-rested and was wearing a handsome blue frock coat and an artfully crafted sabre. Business had been good for all of them. Skwisgaar was lounging about in a loose fitting linen shirt, perpetually warm in these climes, waiting for Toki to return with a new pitcher of wine. They had only just gotten out of bed.

Toki was taking his sweet time, engaged in conversation at the bar with a man with curiously mismatched eyes.

'What have you guys been up to this whole week?'

Skwisgaar smiled a little self-consciously as he recalled having Toki on every surface of their rooms in the tavern.

'Oh, just, you know, having some fun with the local ladies, enjoying clean clothes and fresh food.' It was not strictly a lie.

'Did you decide yet if you want in on my new, uh,' he looked around shiftily, 'business endeavour?'

'Who else is coming?' Skwisgaar inquired, curious to know which other crewmembers would want to set sail again so soon.

'Well, obviously not Pickles. We had a massive row the other day when I asked him. He said he wants me to apologise for destroying the cargo, but you don't become captain by apologising, you know? I've never said sorry to anyone in my life and I'm not going to start now.'

Skwisgaar pressed his lips into a thin line and said nothing. What a foolish way to lose a good friend and partner in crime.

'Offdensen said he'd want to come when he has his investments in order and Murderface seemed keen as well. You could be my First Mate.' Nathan continued.

'I see. If Toki wants to join, I'm in for certain.'

'Why don't you ask him so I can start the preparations? Where is that dumb kid anyway?' Nathan searched the crowded tavern.

'At the bar, speaking with that –' Skwisgaar rose with a sudden feeling of foreboding to look over Nathan's head. Both the man and Toki had disappeared from sight entirely.

'Nathan, we need to find him now.' He spoke urgently, pushing his chair back and running outside with Nathan on his heels.

After circling the tavern separately, Nathan called him over with a note of concern in his voice. A faint trail of blood led away from the establishment, out into the dusty streets, and they followed it until it stopped.

Skwisgaar grimaced and ran a hand across his face.

'You need to calm down, Skwisgaar, maybe he's just off on an errand. He's a grown man, even though we're loath to admit it.' Nathan said reasonably.

'I hear you, but –' He trailed off, gesturing at the blood.

'This is Tortuga, people get stabbed all over the place. It's probably nothing, he'll turn up.'

Toki did not turn up that day, or the next morning. Skwisgaar held a vigil all night and was fraught with worry. As soon as dawn arrived he called all members of their disbanded crew for aid.

'Under what circumstance did you last see him, Skwisgaar?' Offdensen asked intently when they congregated in Skwisgaar's rooms.

'One moment he was speaking to a stranger and the next they had both just vanished.' Skwisgaar responded miserably.

'So, what did that guy look like?' Murderface demanded. 'That might be important if we want to find Toki, don't you think?'

'Brown hair flecked with grey; mismatched eyes, eh…'

'Goddammit Skwisgaar, are you certain?' Pickles voice rose. 'Did he have a long goatee?'

'Yes, he did, what do you know about him?' Skwisgaar asked, alarmed by Pickles' reaction.

'I'll bet you anything that was Magnus Hammersmith. That motherfucker!'

'But Magnus Hammersmith is a bounty hunter, what would he want with Toki?' Nathan frowned.

Skwisgaar buried his face in his hands and tried to keep his emotions under control.

'Speak up, Skwisgaar, what do you know?' Charles questioned him sharply.

'Toki has a price on his head.' He admitted reluctantly.

'For what?' Murderface sounded incredulous.

'Arson.'

'Horseshit. You don't get bounty hunters on your ass half a world away for arson.' Murderface countered.

'It's irrelevant, alright? Believe me when I say he cocked up spectacularly. He'll be swinging from the gallows as soon as he sets foot in Britain!'

Pacing through the room he felt the helpless anger rise in him like a tidal wave. He picked up a chair and hurled it across the room with a roar.

'Restrain yourself, Skwisgaar.' Offdensen admonished in clipped tones. 'We need a plan.'

'We have to intercept Magnus.' Nathan said.

'Great plan, how are we going to find a single ship on the stretch of ocean between here and Portsmouth?' Pickles replied irritably.

'He won't be taking Toki back to England,' Charles interceded, 'which is both an advantage and a risk to us. Port Royal is the closest outpost of the Empire, and with favourable winds any ship can make it there in two days. That means the hour is later than we thought. We need to set sail as soon as possible, because justice is dealt swiftly by the current governor. They will have no scruples extracting a confession by any means necessary, so Toki does not have long.'

He began giving individual orders to prepare for a swift departure, but Pickles dug his heels in.

'Sorry, guys, but if you think I'm just going to forget about everything and start working under _his _command again,' he looked pointedly at Nathan, 'you're mistaken.'

Nathan shifted uneasily under their collective gaze but said nothing.

Skwisgaar was fuming over their callousness. Didn't they realise Toki's chances diminished with every hour they wasted?

'I'm going to step outside before I commit a double homicide, and when I return you two had better be reconciled and ready to sail.' Skwisgaar said through gritted teeth.

Slamming the door behind him he stumbled to the nearest exit to dry-heave over a patch of dead shrubs.

If he failed, Toki would be executed in a matter of days. This was the most important mission of his life, and he felt horribly unprepared.

After a short while four sets of footsteps approached him, and Charles laid a hand on his shoulder. Skwisgaar looked up at the crew's determined faces.

Nathan spoke in a quiet growl. 'We're good. Let us go forth and rescue Toki as discussed.'


	6. Chapter 6

**Warnings** for implied non-con/rape in the first half of the chapter.

Each movement of the undulating waves of the ship was torture to Toki. He had an abnormally high pain threshold, but this was too much even for him. He was manacled to the wall of the stockades by his arms and legs, the cuffs slowly rubbing his skin raw. The stab wound in his side pulled and throbbed – it was undoubtedly infected – and his hair caught where the cast-iron collar chafed his neck.

The man who had introduced himself as Magnus at the tavern had seemed such a friendly person at first, attractive even, in an unusual, rugged way. Toki had been drunk, and their banter, which had bordered on flirtatious, had lulled him into a false sense of trust. Even after stabbing him outside the tavern, Magnus kept assuring Toki that he was only doing his duty to the realm by detaining him – a dangerous criminal – but the amount of violence he had subjected Toki to told a different tale.

He should probably pray for his eternal soul in the face of his imminent execution, but he had long since given up on the god of his father. Atheism might as well be added that to the tally of his crimes; he was going to receive the capital punishment anyway.

If he believed in justice he might have thought he had already paid his dues in full for the fleeting moments of love he had known, however sinful his affections. The shock of his capture and molestation were made all the more bitter by the contrast with the nights he had spent in Skwisgaar's ardent embrace. Being made to feel loved had been so unexpected and overwhelming that he had been completely unprepared for it to end without even a goodbye. The tears he shed were more for that loss than for the physical agony he had to endure.

Boots thumping down the ladder announced Magnus' presence. Toki wondered whether he should give reasoning with him another try or whether begging for his life would be a better strategy. He seemed like the kind of man who got off on that judging by the levels of sadism he was displaying, but then again, he might just be humiliating himself in vain if his pleas fell on deaf ears.

Magnus stared at him through the bars, thin-lipped smile not reaching his mismatched eyes. He was carrying bread and water, which acutely reminded Toki that he hadn't had any nourishment in two days. He was also completely dehydrated because the last thing he had drunk before his abduction was wine.

'You must be hungry.' Magnus murmured through the bars.

Despite himself, Toki nodded.

'I thought as much. But it just occurred to me – you're going to be dead in two days anyway, so there's really no need for me to feed you.' He let out a mad chuckle and threw the bread away.

Toki did not react, but kept his eyes trained on the bottle instead. He would kill to get a drink of water.

'I'm inclined to give you this,' Magnus shook the water bottle, 'because I'm not a terrible person. But you're going to have to work for it.' Producing a rusty key, he unlocked the manacles at Toki's wrists and ankles.

Toki fell to the rough wooden planks with a cry, his limbs unable to support him after being suspended for over a day. Magnus roughly grabbed his chin, forcing him to meet those wild eyes. This man was determined to give him a taste of what hell would be like during his last days on earth, Toki thought while panic gripped him by the throat.

'You have a most interesting criminal record.' Magnus grinned maliciously, 'I know what you are, so I expect this little favour I ask in return is not going to pose a problem for you.'

Toki followed his hands as they travelled to the laces of his pants. _Please, no. Not this, not now._

'I'd rather you rather stab me again.' Toki bargained helplessly. Pain would be more bearable than having his dignity and body sullied by this sick bastard.

'You don't make the rules, darlin'. But I might stab you regardless if you don't come over here right now,' came the growled reply.

Tears of hopeless rage welled in his eyes as he made his way over on his protesting knees.

'Good boy. That wasn't so hard, was it? I'm going to give you a choice: do you want it in your mouth or up your ass?'

'Please, don't do this to me.' Toki begged in a whisper, tears burning a trail down his cheeks. 'I've done nothing to wrong you. Leave me alone.'

'Don't play coy with me, kid. You like this. Maybe we'll even have time for both before I hand you over to the authorities.'

'We're not going to make it in time with this wind, are we?' Skwisgaar railed uselessly while pacing up and down the bridge of the Black Klok. Their vessel was moving at an unbearably slow pace, and there was nothing he could do but wait while Toki slipped further away from him.

'Uhm no, probably not,' Pickles admitted dejectedly, 'Magnus' ship is a lot lighter than ours.'

'Is he still sailing that piece of shit 'Depths of Humanity'?' Nathan asked with a thoughtful expression. 'Alright, guys, I have an idea. I think in this case, with Toki's life at stake, we should risk taking the shortcut to Port Royal. The Black Klok can withstand the currents-'

'No. No way, Nathan. You've heard the stories about that route – I'm not going to wager all of our lives to find out if it's true.'

'What stories?' Charles joined the conversation, interest piqued.

The stories were true, as it turned out. Even though more than half the crew had claimed to believe them, it caught everyone at unawares. The haunting music began soon after they entered a narrow and treacherous channel between two seemingly uninhabited islands. The mournful melodies suited Skwisgaar's mood even if they amplified his anxiety and sorrow over the loss of Toki.

The crew went about their tasks, seemingly unaware, but Skwisgaar noticed that Charles heard it, too.

'Isn't anyone else wondering where this music is coming from?' Charles murmured under his breath.

Skwisgaar searched the rocky outcropping of the coastline with his spyglass, and thought he saw dark shapes moving among them.

That was when the first man jumped overboard and the ship gave a mighty lurch towards the coastal rocks. The movement flung Skwisgaar across the bridge, and he hit the railing hard. The helmsman had abandoned his post, plummeting into the water before Skwisgaar could grab him. The deck erupted into chaos as more men tried to jump into the churning ocean below. Fights erupted between crewmembers who tried to get off the ship and men who tried to stop them.

'Charles! Take the helm and get us away from those rocks!'

Skwisgaar stumbled off the bridge to find Nathan and Pickles while he racked his brain on the subject of Sirens. He vaguely remembered reading about them in the Odyssey in grammar school – how had Odysseus outsmarted the Sirens again? _Think, Skwisgaar! _

Pickles was trying his damndest to subdue Nathan somewhere near the centre mast, but the Siren madness was lending their captain supernatural strength.

How could they avert losing their crew to those creatures? They could not tie everyone up before too many losses fell. Suddenly it came to him: Odysseus had only let himself be bound, but the rest of the crew had plugged their ears with beeswax.

He shouted orders for every man still in his right mind to help plug the ears of the afflicted, who outnumbered them by far and put up a formidable fight. Together with Pickles he managed to hold Nathan still long enough to plug his ears, which broke his trance immediately, rendering him confused and deaf.

They left a trail of drowning men behind as they passed out of earshot, the deck eerily quiet without the usual lull of conversation from the crewmembers. Skwisgaar couldn't find it in himself to feel anything but fear for Toki, so he did not look back.

Climbing the steps to the bridge he wondered why the Sirens' song had touched them all so differently. He repeated the question aloud to Pickles and Charles, who were similarly unaffected, interrupting their hushed conversation.

'I'm sorry, Skwisgaar, what were you saying?' Charles turned to him.

'How can it be that we haven't fallen under the Sirens' spell? In the Odyssey the crew is afflicted to the last man.'

'Theoretically, there could have been exceptions.' Pickles answered unexpectedly, 'Only Odysseus heard the Sirens' song because they took precautions.'

'Any theories as to the cause?' He prompted.

'Amor vincit omnia.' Charles spoke quietly.

Skwisgaar huffed. It was as good a theory as any, but the implications of that idea gave him the chills.

**Author's note:** Sorry about the delay, dildos! Been very busy with the Exchangearooni and the Metalocalypse Big Bang coming up, but I haven't abandoned our Pirate 'verse ;)


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